Federal Hall Extends Hours for Month of Special Programming
The site of the original capital of the United States,
Federal Hall National Memorial will open seven days a week from Aug.1
through Aug. 31 as part of a special set of exhibits and activities.
Each Saturday in August beginning Aug. 1, is Junior Ranger Day. Children
learn about this unique site in the National Park System through a series
of self-directed activities. After they present their finished booklet to a
National Park Service Ranger, they will be sworn in as official Junior
Rangers. Parents and youngsters can download a copy of the Junior Ranger
booklet by visiting www.nps.gov/feha/forkids/
Children of all ages can find something to enjoy at Federal Hall when the
site kicks off Battle Week on Aug. 21. Battle Week commemorates the 1776
Battle for New York. The celebration opens with costumed re-enactors, NPS
Ranger talks and special programs. As part of the commemoration, an exhibit
of 40 flags carried by Continental militia units during the Revolution will
be on display from Aug. 20 through Aug. 27. These replicas include well
known flags like “Don’t Tread on Me” as well as a flag carried by a black
military unit in addition to regimental flags from nearby states and areas.
Take part in the quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the island
of Manhattan by exploring the exhibit “Light on New Netherland,” which will
be on display on the main level of Federal Hall from Aug. 5 through Sept.
8. This exhibition features stunning images and plenty of informative text
on a series of easy-to-view panels. “Light on New Netherland” has appeared
at the New York State Museum in Albany as well at several other notable
institutions.
Can’t get enough of the Big Apple’s Dutch history? Learn more by taking the
New Amsterdam Trail through Lower Manhattan. Visit the National Parks of
New York Harbor Conservancy on the Web at www.nyharborparks.org for more
information.
In addition to these special activities, ranger-guided programs will be
available daily covering more than 300 years of history. Visit
www.nps.gov/feha for a schedule of times. Those visitors looking to extend
their experience can pick up a copy of the free self-guided walking tour
Washington’s New York, which begins at Federal Hall and will lead them to
places important to Washington and the early days of the United States of
America.
For more information, call (212) 825-6990 or visit www.nps.gov/feha on the
Web.
About Federal Hall National Memorial
26 Wall Street was the site of New York City's 18th-century City Hall.
After the Revolution, the Continental Congress met at City Hall. Pierre
L'Enfant was commissioned to remodel City Hall for the new federal
government. The First Congress met in the new Federal Hall, and wrote the
Bill of Rights, and George Washington was inaugurated here as President on
April 30, 1789. When the capital moved to Philadelphia in 1790, the
building again housed city government until 1812, at which time Federal
Hall was demolished. The current structure on the site was built as the
Customs House it later became the U. S. Sub-Treasury until that system was
replaced by the Federal Reserve.
How to Get There: Federal Hall is located at 26 Wall Street in Lower
Manhattan. There are numerous ways to get there using public
transportation. Please visit www.mta.info for more information and
transportation maps.
